Knife-sharpener



(No Model.)

I. R. MILLER. KNIFE SHARPENER.

No. 602,994. Patented Apr.26, 1898.

W TNESEEE. .ZTIVENTE'FL 616m FRANK 71 /U/4LEH- ZXWM/M gal iJNr'rnn STATES A'rrJN'r @rrrcn.

FRANK R. MILLER, OF SPRINGFIELD, ILLINOIS.

KNlFE-SHARPENER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 602,994, dated April 26, 1898.

Application filed November 1, 1897. Serial No. 657,086- (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:-

Be it known that I, FRANK R. MILLnR,a citizen of the United States, residing at Springfield, in the county of Sangamon and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Knife-Sharpeners, of which the followingis such a full, clear, and exact description as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use my said invention.

My invention relates to kn ife-sharpeners of that class which are employed to sharpen the knives of mowers or harvesters; and the purpose of my invention is to provide simple and effective means whereby the knives or sections may be sharpened without removing them from the knife-bar.

With this end in view my invention consists of certain novel features of construction and combination of parts shown in the annexed drawings, to which reference is hereby made, and hereinafter described, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a front elevation of the complete machine. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the complete machine. Fig. 3 is a partial vertical transverse section through the table and the knife-bar holder on the line 3 of Fig. 2. Fig 4 is an enlarged detached top plan of the universal coupling; connected with the emery-wheel shaft.

Similar lettersof reference designate like parts in all of the views.

The operative parts of the mechanism are supported on a table A, which maybe of any suitable form and of any suitable material. A standard 13 is secured in a vertical position on the table A. A wheel 0 turns on a stud O on the main frame and is connected with a pedal D by means of a rod d in the usual Well-known manner.

A grinderE, which is preferably an emerywheel, but which maybe a grindstone or other suitable abradant, is secured to a shaft E, which turns in suitable bearings f on the grinder-frame F, the form of which is clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The lower end of the grinder-frame is supported, turns, and 0scillates freely in an eyebolt or plate F, which is secured to the table A. The grinder-frame F may be termed universally movable that is to say, it may be moved vertically up or down, may be turned in the eye F, or may be oscillated from right to left, as the necessities of the work may require.

Handles F on the frame F serve to move the frame in such manner as to bring the emery-wheel to bear upon and grind the knives at any desired part thereof and at any dcsired angle, as will be hereinafter more fully explained. The means for yieldingl y supporting the grinder-frame consists of an arched standard G, secured in a vertical position on the table A and is provided with a spring G,

which connects the frame F with the standard G, the spring being of such length and rigidity as to normally support the frame in a horizontal position above the table A, also being of such elasticity that when slight pressure is applied to the handles F the spring will yield sufficiently to permit the grinder E to grind upon the surface of the underlying knife even after the grinder has been worn to such extent as to become considerably reduced in diameter.

The shaft E is supported and turns in a suitable bearing 6 on the standard B. A universal coupling (shown in detail in Fig. 4) connects the shafts E and E The universal coupling in its preferable form consists of a tubular member E and a cylindrical memleer E slidable in said tubular member. The member E is connected with the shaft E by means of a loose ring c, through which diametrically opposite pins 6 pass in such man nor that the member and the shaft may freely oscillate on the pins respectively in diametrically opposite directions, and the member E is connected in like manner with the shaft E.

Instead of the universal coupling which I have described any other suitable flexible coupling may be employed to connect the shafts E and F as, for example, a coiled spring, or what is commonly known as the Stowe flexible shaft, it being only essential that the shafts E and E shall be connected in such manner as to permit free movement of the frame F without interfering with the operation of the grinder supported thereon.

A pulley E is secured to the shaft E On the standard B is a stud b, on which an idlerpulley E turns. A belt C runs around the wheel 0 and the pulleys E and E and drives the shaft E The belt runs on both of the pulleys E and E in order to leave clear space between the overrun and the underrun of the belt, so that the knife-bar may he slid longitudinally on the knife-bar holder without coming in contact with the belt.

The knife-bar holder in its preferable form consists of two parallel bars of angle-iron H, one of which is secured to the top of the table A and the other of which is slidable transversely on the table-top. A rod H is connected in any suitable manner with the slidable bar H and projects forward under the table and has its outer end screw-threaded to receive a nut H which abuts against a plate 77/ and may be turned to draw the slidable an gle-bar toward the fixed angle-bar, so as to clamp and hold the knife-bar K firmly be-.

tween the angle-bars in order that the knives on the knife-bar (clearly shown in Fig. 2) may be successively brought into and held in properposition to be ground by the grinderE.

The operation of the knife-sharpener is as follows: The knife-bar K is placed between the angle-bars H, with the knife or knives which are to be sharpened directly under the grinder E. to draw on the rod H and cause the slidable angle-bar II to move toward the fixed anglebar and clamp the knife-bar between the angle-bars. The treadle is then operated so as to rotate the wheel 0 and cause the belt (3 to drive the shaft E thereby rotating the grinder E. The handles F are then pressed down, so as to bring the grinder into contact with the knife or knives which are to be sharpened, and the frame F is then oscillated or turned in the eye F, or is moved up or down or to the right or the left, as may be necessary for the most effective grinding of the The nut H is then turned so as knife or knives which are under the grinder. When the grinding of the knife or knives which are under the grinder is completed, the slidable bar H is released, so as to permit the knife-bar to be moved, so as to bring another knife or other knives into position to be 0perated upon by the grinder, and so on successively until all the knives on the knife-bar have been ground.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a knife-sharpener the combination of a table, a standard on said table, a grindershaft turning on said standard, a pulley on said shaft, an idler-pulley on said standard, a belt traveling on said pulleys and driving said grinder-shaft, a knife-bar holder between the overrun and the underrun of said belt, a movable grinder-frame contiguous to said knife-bar holder, and a grinder on said grinder-frame and driven by said grindershaft, as set forth.

2. In a knife-sharpener, the combination of a table, a standard and a knifeholder on said table, a universally-movable grinder-frame, means for yieldingly supporting said grinderframe, a shaft on said grinder-frame, a grinder on said shaft, a shaft on said standard, a universal coupling connecting said shafts, and means for rotating said shafts, as set forth.

In witness whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name, at Springfield, Illinois, this 16th day of September, A. D. 1897.

FRANK R. MILLER.

Vitnesses:

L. A. NUNEs, H. O. COOPER. 

